1679 JOHN EVELYN
in order to the purchase of the Countess of Bristol's
house there, which she desired me to procure a chapman
for.

ipth June, 1679. I dined at Sir Robert Clayton's with
Sir Robert Viner, the great banker.

22d June, 1679. There were now divers Jesuits executed
about the plot, and a rebellion in Scotland of the fanatics,
so that there was a sad prospect of public affairs.

25th June, 1679. The new Commissioners of the Admi-
ralty came to visit me, viz, Sir Henry Capell, brother to
the Earl of Essex, Mr. Finch, eldest son to the Lord
Chancellor, Sir Humphry Winch, Sir Thomas Meeres, Mr.
Hales, with some of the Commissioners of the Navy. I
went with them to London.

ist July, 1679. I dined at Sir William Godolphin's, and
with that learned gentleman went to.take the air in Hyde
Park, where was a glorious cortege.

3d July, 1679. Sending a piece of venison to Mr.
Pepys, still a prisoner, I went and dined with him.

6th July, 1679. Now were there papers, speeches, and
libels, publicly cried in the streets against the Dukes of
York and Lauderdale, etc., obnoxious to the Parliament,
with too much and indeed too shameful a liberty; but
the people and Parliament had gotten head by reason of
the vices of the great ones.

There was now brought up to London a child, son of
one Mr. Wotton, formerly amanuensis to Dr. Andrews,
Bishop of Winton, who both read and perfectly tinder-
stood Hebrew, Greek, Latin, Arabic, Syriac, and most of
the modern languages; disputed in divinity, law, and all
the sciences; was skillful in history, both ecclesiastical and
profane; in politics; in a word, so universally and solidly
learned at eleven years of age, that he was looked on as
a miracle. Dr* Lloyd, one of the most deeply learned
divines of this nation in all sorts of literature, with Dr.
Burnet, who had severely examined him, came away
astonished, and they told me they did not believe there
had the like appeared in the world. He had only been
instructed by his father, who being himself a learned
person, confessed that his son knew all that he himself
knew. But, what was more admirable than his vast
memory, was his judgment and invention, he being tried
with divers hard questions, which required maturity of